University of Virginia Library

4. CHAPTER IV.

The developement made by Sherwood, at his late
visit, seemed to produce on Captain Hendee, whose
mind had been previously prejudiced and poisoned
for the purpose, all the effect which the former could
have desired. The Captain's feelings of pride were
deeply touched at the thought of having entertained,
and welcomed in his family, a man acting under the
disguise of an assumed name, and consequently harboring,
as he reasoned, no honorable purposes. And
these views going to confirm all the falsehoods and
dark insinuations, by which that Iago in malice and
subtlety had accompanied his disclosures concerning
Warrington, the mind of the irritable old gentleman
had been wrought up to a pitch of exasperation and
bitterness, which he pretended neither to disguise
nor control, and which he failed not to vent on all
around him, but more particularly upon his unhappy
daughter. To her, indeed, his whole demeanor
became changed; and his treatment was marked by
a distrustful coldness, and continued austerity of
manner, which she had never before, for so long a
time, experienced from her passionate, but hitherto
quickly relenting, parent. And yet she, who was
happily the very reverse of her father in temper, had

neither manifested, nor felt, the least wish to resent
the unkindness; but calm and aimiable in disposition,
as she was fearless and spirited in action, she
had borne all with the most forgiving patience, prudently
awaiting the subsiding of the tempest of his
passion, before she should attempt, as she was resolved
to do, to exculpate Warrington, and gradually
bring about a change in his views and feelings, in
regard to the connection with Sherwood. She well
knew that he was now laboring under many false
impressions, which she felt conscious of her ability
to remove, as soon as he should become sufficiently
calm to listen to the voice of reason. Day after
day, therefore, she had anxiously watched for some
appearance of relenting, some more softened mood,
which should afford her an opportunity of making
this attempt with a reasonable hope of success. But
till the evening on which Jones called at the house,
she had observed nothing that indicated the least relaxation
in her father's feelings. And being then interrupted
by the woodsman's call, at an hour which
usually afforded her the only opportunity she had
through the day of conversing with her parent alone,
she deferred her purpose to another day. But the next
day brought along with it events, which so engrossed
her time and attention, that this desired object
was not again sought to be obtained, till circumstances
intervened, which destroyed every motive and
wish she could entertain for accomplishing it.

Such was the state of feelings, and such the relative
position in which the father and daughter stood
towards each other on the day which proved so triumphant
to the American arms on lake Champlain.
In the early part of that day the attention of this
family, as well as that of all the inhabitants of the

vicinity of the lake, was aroused by heavy and repeated
discharges of cannon, in the direction of Ticonderoga.
Little dreaming of the fact that this
cannonading, which was filling the whole valley of
the lake with its echoing thunders, was the harbinger
of a victory already won, the whole neighborhood
was instantly in commotion,—some riding post haste
into the interior to carry the news, or rally volunteers,
some flying from house to house to interchange
the expressions of their fears and sympathies, and
the greater number, rushing down to the nearest
landing on the lake shore, to gain the first tidings
of their friends engaged in the deadly conflict, which
they supposed was at that moment raging round the
walls of the hostile fortress. In a short time the door
yard of Captain Hendee's cottage was filled with a
group of excited boys and anxious females. And
agonizing were the sensations of many an affectionate
wife and sister, and oft and fervent their trembling
ejaculations to Heaven for the preservation of
husbands, brothers and lovers, in this hour of danger.
And not the most indifferent among those
thus oppressed with painful solicitude for the event,
which they believed involved the fate of all they held
dear on earth, was Alma Hendee. To her, whose
lover might be expected to be among the foremost
of those engaged in the perilous assault, every gun
that came booming over the waters brought with it
a pang for her agitated bosom. Nor was her anxiety
the less painfully felt, because circumstances compelled
her to endure it in silence. The firing at
length ceased, and all awaited in trembling solicitude
some arrival, which should bring them information
of the result. This, however, continued for
several, and to most of them, long and tedious hours,
to rest in uncertainty. But at length a horseman,
covered with dust, and lashing his foaming horse to
speed, came furiously galloping down the road
from the south. All, with beating hearts and breathless
expectation, awaited the announcement of the
rapidly approaching messenger. The next moment,
as he neared them, he swung his hat round his head,
exclaiming `Victory! victory! hurra for the Green
Mountain Boys! Ticonderoga is taken, and not a
man killed! hurra! hurra!' and, without scarcely
checking the speed of his horse, on he dashed, to
carry to others the joyful tidings. The cracked
voice of the war-worn and veteran Hendee was the
next instant mingling with the shrill and high keyed
cry of the boys around him, in the responsive hurra
that now involuntarily burst from their lips. With
tears of joy and thankfulness gushing over many a
fair cheek, the females hurried on such habiliments
as they had laid aside, and the company, immediately
dispersing, hastened to their respective homes
with the gladdening news, leaving Captain Hendee
and his daughter again by themselves, and their cottage
to relapse into its usual quietness. The day,
however, was not destined to close upon them without
the occurrence of other events of stirring interest.
Towards sunset, several batteaux filled with
armed men, made their appearance on the lake, approaching
from the south, and as they neared, were
soon discovered to be bearing down upon the fortress
of Crown Point.

`Bring me out my old spy glass, Alma!' cried
Captain Hendee, hobbling from the garden, where
he had been to work, towards the house, and turning
round every few steps to look at the little armament,
which he had discovered approaching. `Here

comes more trouble for the British—or else that fellow
fooled us with his news, and these are a reinforcement
for the garrison. Come, step quick, girl, I
can't make them out with certainty.'

`Would British troops be likely to come in that
direction, father?' asked Alma, in accents tremulous
with emotion, as she approached, and handed the
required instrument to the other.

`Why, no, I should hardly have expected it; but
let us see,' replied the Captain, adjusting his glass
and placing it to his eye. `By heavens, the girl is
right! Those boats contain any thing but British
regulars. No, they must be Green Mountain Boys,
about to make an onset on the fort. See! how
stiffly they bear down towards the old walls!' he
continued with animation. `Gad! they are bold
fellows, to say the least, to be sailing directly in the
teeth of yonder war-dogs! But here, child, your
eye is keener than mine;—take the glass and watch
their movements.'

The girl took the glass, and bringing the boats
within its field of vision, looked long and intently
without speaking.

`They are coming to a halt now, are they not?'
asked the Captain.

`Yes, they have nearly ceased rowing now,' replied
the maiden. `Why, how plainly I can see even
their features! Now there is one, who has mounted
a bench, and appears to be giving commands to
the rest. Now he has turned his face this way, as
if—as if'—

`Why! how unsteady the girl's hand is! nonsense!
child, you need not be frightened,—they are
not coming near us,' half pettishly, half encouragingly,
exclaimed the Captain, supposing his daughter's

very visible agitation proceeded from an apprehension
that the commander was about to order the
boats to cross over the lake towards the house.

`I am not afraid, father, only—but see! their
boats are turning to the shore. They appear now
to be putting into a small cove.'

`There is where they are cunning,' observed the
other. `They don't think it altogether safe to approach
much nearer in the range of those murderous
long guns. If I had been there in command of
the fort, I think they would have seen trouble some
time ago. Thank God, however, the stupid fools
within there have lost their best chance! But what
are they doing now?'

`They have landed, nearly all landed now, and
seem to be forming on the bank.'

“Good! now, Alma, you will have a chance to
see a little of your father's old trade—that is, if the
garrison have sense and courage enough to make use
of the advantages they possess for repelling their assailants.
Are they moving forward yet for the fort?'

`No, the commander appears to be addressing
two men apart from the rest, one of whom seems to
be unrolling something white. Ah! I see, now; it
is a white flag. The two now advance along the
path leading to the fort, while the rest appear to
stand in a waiting attitude, anxiously watching the
motions of their two companions as they approach
the gate.'

`It is a summons from the commander, girl—a
summons for the surrender of the fort. Now you
will see whether they will obey it, and yield without
a blow the prize that cost the king so much toil and
blood in the winning, as my sad experience can well
attest. Many a dark and fearful night, Alma, have

I ranged these woods, while the savage foe were lurking
around us in every direction. Old Major Put,
as we used to call that dare-devil, and myself once'—

`There! there! father,' interrupted the other,
`the messengers have now approached near to the
walls. A man appears on the top. They are conferring
together. The messengers point to their
companions. The man on the walls seems to hesitate.
They now seem to direct his attention to
something down the lake. Look, father, and see if
any thing is to be seen coming in that direction.'

`Now the Lord be with the assailants for a sudden
rush, or their game is up!' exclaimed the Captain
as, in compliance with his daughter's request,
he turned and threw an enquiring look along the
lake towards the north. `Two boats filled with
armed men are coming up the lake rowing for life—
British, no doubt, hastening to succour the garrison.'

`No, father, no!' joyfully exclaimed the girl as
with trembling haste she turned the glass to the armament
in question. `You are again mistaken.
These, too, are Green Mountain Boys, coming on to
join their companions.'

`Green Mountain Boys! from that quarter? where
should they come from?'

`From the Winooski river, father. Captain Baker
has been on there, and'—eagerly replied the other,
but stopping short and blushing, as it occurred to
her that the remark would lead to the discovery
of the source of her information.

`Really, girl! one would suppose you had been
at the council of war, where this campaign was planned,'
said the Captain, with an air of surprise; but
being too much occupied with present objects to
trace the association, he, to the great relief of his

confused daughter, reverted to the scene before him,
and said, `You may be right after all,—if so, victory
is certain. But turn now to the fort and see
what is going on there.'

`I will—I am, father,' replied the flustered girl.
`Ah! I have a view again: now the conference between
the commander, or man on the walls and the
two messengers, seems to be broken off. The latter
are departing. But now the man seems to be
calling them back. They turn to him again and
hold parley. Now the messengers turn quickly
round, and wave their flag to their companions, who
seem suddenly to be put in motion. And, see! see!
their whole body is rushing towards the fort. How
their guns glimmer through the trees as they pour
along the path! How their commander's sword
flashes in the sun, as half turning, he whirls it about
his head to motion them on! There! there! father,
they mount the swell!—they approach the
walls—the gate is thrown open; and now they disappear
within the works, and all is still.'

`And all without a single gun being fired in defence
of Old Frederick! impossible!' exclaimed the
Captain, with mingled feelings of joy for the success
of his countrymen, and shame for the garrison,
who would surrender, without resistance, a fortress
which years of his life had been spent in helping to
wrest from the Frenchmen.

`Here! look, look, father!' again exclaimed the
excited girl. `The Lion flag goes down! another of
a lighter colour goes up! Have they not conquered,
father?—They have! They have! and oh! how
thankful!'

`Yes! 'tis all over!' responded the Captain, rubbing
his hands in extacy. `Quick work, by heavens!

Not a gun fired!—not a man killed, and the
old Lion is flat on his back! The command of the
whole of lake Champlain is ours! Huzza for liberty!'
he shouted, leaping from the ground, forgetful
of his lameness in the excitement of the moment,
and throwing his hat into the air: `Huzza for the
Green Mountain Boys! They deserve a hecatomb
for their victories!'

At this instant a dozen columns of smoke shot
out fiercely from the walls of the fortress, and the
deafening peal of cannon, which followed, announced
to the shuddering hills around the surrender of
the last controlling foot-hold of British power on the
waters of Lake Champlain, to the prowess and patriotism
of the Green Mountain Boys.

Alma now delivering up the spy-glass to her father,
hastened into the house, and took a seat in her
window, where, unobserved by any, she could observe
what further movements might transpire at
the scene of action, and at the same time freely
indulge in her emotions of joy and gratitude for the
preservation of her lover, whom she had distinctly
made out to be the leader of the victorious party.

An hour or two after the surrender, a skiff, containing
a single individual, put off from the shore
under the fort, and directed its course to the landing
below the cottage. The individual, on reaching
the shore, came directly towards the house, and was
soon ascertained to be Neshobee by the Captain,
who, still remaining in his garden, had been watching
the coming boat. The Indian rather sheepishly
approached his master, conscious, perhaps, that as
far as regarded the Captain, he had played the truant
in joining the expedition.

`Well, Neshobee,' said the Captain, as the other,

with averted face came carelessly along, `where
have you been all this time?'

`Umph! me been go learn fight um.'

`I thought it likely enough they had got you away
for that, as I suspected, from several things I noticed
yesterday, that this business was afoot. But how
did you know I should be willing you should join in
these doings?'

`What you tell big Cappen—Colonel, who make
believe drunk todder night?'

`Well, well, my lad, I don't mean to scold you
much for joining in so good a work, though you
might have talked with me a little before you went.
But have you been with the big Captain, who is no
other than Ethan Allen, Mr. Sherwood informed me?'

`Me have.'

`Well, he was commander of the expedition, I
suppose—what did he and his men do there at Ticonderoga?'

`They take um red-coats,—pile up their guns for
no let um have um more,—fire big guns, more fifty
—hoo! bang!' replied the Indian with significant
gestures.

`And was it the big Captain who come on with
the men to take this fort?'

`No, young Cappen, Major, what you call Misser
Howard.'

`Well, you may go, now,' said Hendee, impatiently,
motioning the other to go on to the house.

`How proud I should now be of that same Warrington,
outlaw though he be, but for this accursed
business!' muttered the Captain to himself, after the
Indian had departed, with a tone and manner in
which admiration and dislike, kindness and resentment,
regret and bitterness, were strangely blended.

`Hang me! if I don't almost think the better of the
girl for liking him. Though if Jake's stories are
true!—I wonder now if the fellow did not lie to me?
—would to God things had been different! But
they are not different, and won't be; and hell town I
what am I talking about? It can't go—no, no! and
by the powers of earth! it shan't go, an inch further,
or I will make the house too hot for her!'

While the passionate and unhappy father was
thus giving vent to his conflicting feelings, the Indian
entered the house, and proceeded to the apartment
of the daughter, who had also noted his approach,
and beckoned him from the window to come
to her room.

`Now tell me, in the first place, Neshobee,' said
she eagerly, `whether Mr. Sherwood was over there
to be taken prisoner with the rest?'

`Me no see him.'

`You said yesterday, he was then there.'

`Me see him, as me say, then,—no there to day
when we come—guess him run.'

`Very likely, but Darrow was there, of course,
was he not?'

`Him no there, too.'

`How unfortunate!' exclaimed the maiden with
an air of disappointment and regret. `Not even
one of them, then, is secured! Well, well, Heaven
knows best; and in that I will still put my trust.
But what have you there? she added, as her quick
eye caught the hand of the other fumbling for something
in his pocket.

`Cappen send um,' quietly answered Neshobee,
pulling out a billet, which was instantly snatched
from his hands by the eager girl.

`O, why not have told me, before! But you may

go now, Neshobee;' and with a quick, impatient
waving of her hand, she motioned him away.

With a beating heart and glowing cheek, the happy
girl read, and re-read, many times, the precious
note; when, after pondering anxiously and deeply,
awhile, she took her sheet and wrote.—

When Alma had finished her letter, she sought
her trusty messenger, and confided it to his charge,
with instructions to convey it to Warrington at the fort
that night, or as soon as he could absent himself
without exciting the observation of her father; after
which she again returned to her solitary apartment,
and soon sought her pillow, to escape the perplexities
of the present in the bright visions of the future.

During the next day, her time and attention were
more than usually occupied by calls at the house,
from those passing to and from the fort. And it
was not till nearly night, that she found an opportunity
to escape from the company, with which, in
successive parties, the cottage had been thronged
through the day. But being relieved at length from
these hospitable duties, and wearied with bustle, in
which she had been engaged, she threw a light kerchief
over her head, and wandered into the fields to
indulge in those solitary musings so grateful to seperated
lovers. The golden sun was just sinking behind
the western hills. The earth was a variegated carpet
of flowers beneath her feet; and tempted by
the beauty of the evening, she continued her course
almost unconsciously, down the little vale towards
the woods; and before she was aware how far she
had wandered, she had arrived at the border of the
field, and was standing by the tree beneath which
Warrington had first breathed to her the word `love.'
After indulging awhile in the associations which this
sequestered spot awakened in her mind, she turned,
and was retracing her steps homeward, when she
was startled by the sharp rattling voice of some one
a few rods below her, and turning, she beheld Pete
Jones making his way up the slope towards her.

`Hold up a little bit there, lady, that is, if you're
a mind to,' he said, respectfully approaching and
holding up a letter between his thumb and finger.
`There's a little concern of a letter, which Captain
Selden handed me to give you.'

`Indeed! an answer from Skenesboro' so soon?'
said Alma, with a subsiding blush, which was raised
by the thought first occurring to her mind that the
message came from another quarter.

`Answer to the letter the nigger had,—d'ye mean?
—why, yes, rather spose so. Any how, I believe it
came from that little hum-bird of a girl that we
caught at that small scrape we had with the old podunk
of a Scotchman and his folks, at the Lower
Falls, a week or two ago.'

`You mean Miss Reed, probably—have you been
up to Skenesboro', since you were here?'

`O, yes, a lot of us went up there yesterday, after
things had been pretty well fixed at Old Ti.'

`For what purpose, if I may ask, sir?'

`Why only just to let the Major there know, that
the Continental Congress had kinder taken a fancy
to his stone house. At all events, Captain Selden
told them something of that sort, as we made them
all prisoners there.'

`What! the ladies and all?—I trust they will
have no reason to complain'—

`Ah, you needn't borry no trouble there, mum, I
guess. The ladies won't be very likely to cry their
eyes out, at falling into the hands of such a chap as
Captain Selden—now you see if they do? For instance,
mum, by way of a similar,' continued Pete,
beginning to look mischievous, being no longer able
to keep down his ruling propensitiy for joking, `for
instance, suppose now, that Major Warrington should
come over here with men enough—and twouldn't
take over a thousand neither, mayhap'—

`You need not trouble yourself to explain, sir,'
interrupted Miss Hendee, rather flurriedly. `The
letter will inform me of all particulars, doubtless.
You will now excuse me, as I must return. But perhaps
you will go to the house for some refreshment,
or to remain with us through the night?'

`Why, no,—thank'ee mum,' replied the other,' a

little abashed at the dignity which the girl had assumed.
`No, I must be off to my traps: I am a
sort of a water-mail to carry orders to day. Captain
Selden sent me on, this morning, with dispatches
to old thunder-bolt, Colonel Allen, you know.
Well, the Colonel, he sent me with my little bird of
a canoe agoing again, like a foot ball, down here to
Crown Point, to notify the Major to come up to a
council there, to-night, or in the morning. So you
see I must put on with my errand, as I havn't been
to the fort yet. You may just tell the old Captain
at the house, if you're a mind to, that my ague,
since I was there, hasn't been very desput, considering.'

So saying, the jolly borderer turned, and bounded
down the slope like a young colt, giving vent to
the exuberance of his animal spirits, as soon as he
was fairly out of the restraining presence of the lady,
in his favorite old chorus, `Trol, lol, lol de larly!'

Hastening to the house, and then to her room,
Miss Hendee eagerly tore open the letter just received,
and read as follows: